I was so relieved by Cliff Mansfield’s letter (Jan. 9) telling me man’s activities have very little effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide compared to volcanoes.

That is until I looked at the U.S. Geological Survey Web site. The compared carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes vs. human activities made me start worrying again.

“Volcanoes emit between 145-255 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year.” (Gerlach, 1999, 1991) “Emissions of carbon dioxide by human activities, including fossil fuel burning, cement production gas flaring, amount to about 30 BILLION tons per year.” (Marland, et al, 2006)

We cannot and must not continue to be complacent about the effects of man on our planet’s environment.

Buckle up

I am concerned and alarmed at the many reports around our region regarding vehicle accidents ending in death.

One thing that many of these accidents have in common is that people were simply not buckled up! The state can only do so much in educating us and even making it a law, but it is up to us to “Click It”!

Please, for the sake of our children and those we love, make sure anyone riding in your vehicle is buckled before you start, especially on these dangerous icy roads. If you don’t have enough seat belts for everyone, then make other plans. It’s just not worth it.

Not all vehicle accidents will have a happy ending but you have a much better chance surviving using these devices called seat belts that are conveniently located in our vehicles. Please buckle up!

Selective argument

Cliff Mansfield is at it again trying to convince us that the scientific world is wrong about climate change (re: his letter of Jan. 9).

He suggests that we believe the National Center for Policy Analysis, which is a right-wing think tank, political in nature. Personally I don’t trust politicians making judgments on science.

The other source he refers to, Mr. Alan Robok, has been writing papers for years claiming that we need to study long-term climate cycles; yet he never discusses the rapid buildup of carbon dioxide over the last century and the accompanying rise in planetary temperature.

There is a massive amount of legitimate scientific research that supports the theory that human-caused climate change is a very real threat.

Why choose to completely disregard this? Don’t be persuaded by politicians with an ax to grind.

Bad plan

The Bush administration is making an agreement with Oregon’s Bureau of Land Management to illegally go against the Northwest Forest Plan and increase logging of old growth forests by an incredible 700 percent.

This would include opening the door to clear cutting 200-year-old trees in an area the size of the entire state of Delaware right here in western Oregon. Already, 82 percent of our old growth forests are gone, replaced by skinny, flammable, immature trees.

If that doesn’t convince you that this plan must be stopped, consider this: 100,000 acres will be converted into Off Highway Vehicle land which will lower your house value if you live near that land.

Wildlife will have much less land to live in so hunting will be greatly restricted. There will be more fires so you have a better chance of losing your home.

Whether you value Oregon’s old growth forest because you’re an Oregonian and instinctively understand their value or you are simply able to understand that you will lose financially because of this, the ball is in your hands to contact Rep. Walden, Sen. Smith, Sen. Wyden and the Bureau of Land Management and tell them that it is very foolish to allow President Bush to destroy our collective home.

Obama appeals

Barack Obama won handily in Iowa and came in a close second in New Hampshire on Tuesday. No one really likes Hillary (Clinton). I don’t.

And now I am beginning to believe that she can’t win an election. She may have good ideas, and is very practical, but she has no vision — no charisma. Obama does.

I listened to his speech on the Internet and he reminded me of the Kennedy brothers. He spoke of one nation — blacks and whites, Democrats, Independents and Republicans all coming together for change. And he said it wasn’t just about believing in him but in ourselves (on his Web site).

It seems to me that he has been quite effective since he has been in public office even though it can’t come near to Clinton’s 35 years’ experience. And he believes he can get us out of this disastrous war — and that would be my number one goal, even more than universal health coverage, another of his goals.

I think Clinton would keep us in Iraq, She has too many ties to the powers that be. I think I will vote for him. But I will keep an open mind until our primary.

Deal breaker

We have tried democracy for over 200 years until now.

We have a deadlocked Congress and a strong-willed president, who has translated our Constitution to his preference, trampled our Bill of Rights and does whatever he pleases. Enough!

Let us try something new, really new:

1. Do away with the presidency.

2. Create TWO co-administrators instead of a president; the top winner from each party.

3. Co-administrators will resolve differences between themselves before presenting their agreed-upon proposals to both houses of Congress for their actions.

Two examples for the positions of co-administrators:

Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama or Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul.

If this idea does not break the logjam in Congress so that we the people can eventually be served by our representatives, what’s next?

Dumb-as-Dirt writes

Re: $3.80 by summer (Jan. 9)

I know that I’m dumb as dirt, but I sure do wish some wise person would patiently explain, in simple language, how it is that:

Because local gas prices escalated from $2.65 per gallon to $3.11 last year this fact somehow justifies the astronomic profits recorded by three major U.S. oil corporations during the same time frame.

Who’s cooking their books? Even Dumb-as-Dirt knows that profits get taxes up the yin yang.

So, what I want to know is how come they, with all their billions in profits, can’t hire their own dang army to secure their resources located in certain hot spots around the globe?

I mean, how come I keep getting dunned for that bill? Oh yeah, I momentarily forgot. I’m Dumb-as-Dirt, otherwise known as Sucker.