Spring Break
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 7/6/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Editor's note: The following letter is in response to "Would Gore have made the difference?" by Michael Bertacchi, which appeared in the June 29 issue of the WC.
The June 29 issue juxtaposed three articles that reveal the paradox of today's America. Noting the logic and evidence compiled by Al Gore in his powerful documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," Mr. Bertacchi courageously claimed that global warming is a greater threat to Americans, all humans, and the entire planet than terrorism. If that is the case, then addressing climate change should be our president's, and nation's, primary concern.
Alas, two other articles in the same issue of WC reveal what we are up against. Incredibly, in her opinion piece, Ms. Toohill castigated people who wish that America's children walked to school instead of being driven! Rather than suggesting methods to make walking easier, Toohill encourages us to get in our cars and drive them. Leaving aside (just briefly) that Americans drive more than 95% of the times we leave our households, let us not forget that fully 25% of kids are overweight or obese--and well more than half of adults are. How about making it a national priority to make our communities more walkable instead of waving the white flag? For instance, requiring all streets to have sidewalks and promoting non-motorized routes in every town? Or providing tax breaks to employers who help workers commute by means other than driving a private vehicle?
Meanwhile, above the fold on page one was a story cleverly titled "Westward expansion," about the boom in apartment complexes being built on the West side of Macomb. Simply put, sprawl contribute to global warming and obesity by making America more auto-dependent. Unfortunately, if ever more students live in those apartments, the great majority will get into private vehicles and drive to WIU--instead of walking or biking (though, in all honesty, it's quite an easy bike ride). And, as there are no grocery stores on the West side, these new apartment dwellers most likely will drive to buy food on the far East side of Macomb. A great way to address this change would be to encourage a new grocery store on the West side, so that everyone living in that part of town could walk to buy their groceries. Then, we could simultaneously address the impending climate and health crises our nation and world face.
- Peter Cole
The June 29 issue juxtaposed three articles that reveal the paradox of today's America. Noting the logic and evidence compiled by Al Gore in his powerful documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," Mr. Bertacchi courageously claimed that global warming is a greater threat to Americans, all humans, and the entire planet than terrorism. If that is the case, then addressing climate change should be our president's, and nation's, primary concern.
Alas, two other articles in the same issue of WC reveal what we are up against. Incredibly, in her opinion piece, Ms. Toohill castigated people who wish that America's children walked to school instead of being driven! Rather than suggesting methods to make walking easier, Toohill encourages us to get in our cars and drive them. Leaving aside (just briefly) that Americans drive more than 95% of the times we leave our households, let us not forget that fully 25% of kids are overweight or obese--and well more than half of adults are. How about making it a national priority to make our communities more walkable instead of waving the white flag? For instance, requiring all streets to have sidewalks and promoting non-motorized routes in every town? Or providing tax breaks to employers who help workers commute by means other than driving a private vehicle?
Meanwhile, above the fold on page one was a story cleverly titled "Westward expansion," about the boom in apartment complexes being built on the West side of Macomb. Simply put, sprawl contribute to global warming and obesity by making America more auto-dependent. Unfortunately, if ever more students live in those apartments, the great majority will get into private vehicles and drive to WIU--instead of walking or biking (though, in all honesty, it's quite an easy bike ride). And, as there are no grocery stores on the West side, these new apartment dwellers most likely will drive to buy food on the far East side of Macomb. A great way to address this change would be to encourage a new grocery store on the West side, so that everyone living in that part of town could walk to buy their groceries. Then, we could simultaneously address the impending climate and health crises our nation and world face.
- Peter Cole
Be the first to comment on this story