Comments on: Letter: Precinct caucuses being held Tuesday http://www.hjblogs.com/letter-precinct-caucuses-being-held-tuesday/ HJblogs.com Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:09:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: James Graham http://www.hjblogs.com/letter-precinct-caucuses-being-held-tuesday/comment-page-1/#comment-6488 James Graham Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:13:51 +0000 http://www.hjblogs.com/?p=13182#comment-6488 Hello, I would like to respond to an editorial printed in the Chronicle this last December, but only recently bought to my attention. The editorial in question was written by Rosalind Kohls and stated that CO2 was of no danger, and its designation as a pollutant as "poppycock". I am afraid her science is as antiquated as her verbiage. Massive population increases along with the infrastructure required to sustain this rise, such as deforestation and increased industrialization, has overtaxed the natural cycle in which CO2 is processed. Much like when the deer population explodes as that of its natural predators (wolves, coyotes, etc...) decreases. The chickens are safe but the crops get eaten. Striking developments since the 1970 Clean Air Act have been the explosion of knowledge about the nature of air pollution, and the advanced new technologies available to control that pollution. The study of pollution and the design of pollution control techniques were in their infancies in 1970. Congress did not have the benefit of the wealth of additional knowledge at society's disposal today. This expanded knowledge base should permit Congress to adopt compliance deadlines that are better pegged to technical feasibility than in 1970. Tom Brokaw was wrong in titling his book "The Greatest Generation". In so doing he lets the rest of us off the hook. A great generation is one that shoulders its times burdens and solves them so the next generation can work on its own dilemmas. These deeds were accomplished not only by the WWII generation but by our countries founders and citizens who had no small task in creating not only a new country, but basing its foundation on new principles. The generation of the civil war, kept us together. The Civil Rights generation, for holding our country to the standards on which it was founded. This is history in a pea shell. The point being that we are at a juncture in which change is being demanded. Not only from citizens from around the world but by our very planet. This is our generation's burden. James Graham Hello, I would like to respond to an editorial printed in the Chronicle this last December, but only recently bought to my attention. The editorial in question was written by Rosalind Kohls and stated that CO2 was of no danger, and its designation as a pollutant as “poppycock”. I am afraid her science is as antiquated as her verbiage. Massive population increases along with the infrastructure required to sustain this rise, such as deforestation and increased industrialization, has overtaxed the natural cycle in which CO2 is processed. Much like when the deer population explodes as that of its natural predators (wolves, coyotes, etc…) decreases. The chickens are safe but the crops get eaten. Striking developments since the 1970 Clean Air Act have been the explosion of knowledge about the nature of air pollution, and the advanced new technologies available to control that pollution. The study of pollution and the design of pollution control techniques were in their infancies in 1970. Congress did not have the benefit of the wealth of additional knowledge at society’s disposal today.
This expanded knowledge base should permit Congress to adopt compliance deadlines that are better pegged to technical feasibility than in 1970.

Tom Brokaw was wrong in titling his book “The Greatest Generation”. In so doing he lets the rest of us off the hook. A great generation is one that shoulders its times burdens and solves them so the next generation can work on its own dilemmas. These deeds were accomplished not only by the WWII generation but by our countries founders and citizens who had no small task in creating not only a new country, but basing its foundation on new principles. The generation of the civil war, kept us together. The Civil Rights generation, for holding our country to the standards on which it was founded. This is history in a pea shell. The point being that we are at a juncture in which change is being demanded. Not only from citizens from around the world but by our very planet. This is our generation’s burden.

James Graham

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