Parade of Species
Dear Editor: Thank you to the plants and animals that moved through town for the 18th annual Parade of the Species in celebration of Earth Month. This year’s costume contest winners were: Grandmother Goose for best costume over the age of 16, Brady the eagle for best local animal, Braylen the snail for best use of recycled materials, Burgess’ Birds for best group costume, and Kevan the salmonberry bush for best local plant.
This event would not be possible without the collaboration, support, and creativity of the community. Thank you to Backdoor Cafe, Old Harbor Books, Wintersong Soap Company, and Mountain Miss for generously donating prizes to the costume contest. Thank you, Sitka Sound Science Center, for hosting a wonderful post parade celebration where Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sheldon Jackson Museum, Fortress of the Bear, Alaska Raptor Center and Sitka 4-H provided engaging youth activities. Thank you!
Sitka’s two most important resources are the natural environment, and our community’s youths who represent the future. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that they inherit a dependable natural environment that provides for them just as it has for the peoples who have lived her for over 10 thousand years. The annual Earth Day Parade of Species gives us a chance to celebrate youths and local environment while committing ourselves to taking care of both. Stay wild.
Sitka Conservation Society
Free College
Dear Editor: The idea of free college for all is a bit wild. I recall reporting for the draft. My timing was lucky, as the war ended while I was exposed to selection. At least, men of those times stood at least exposure to duty. Now we have a professional war machine that relieves us of duty.
Free college education would be an additional release from duty. I am for all 18-year-olds being required to perform two years of community or military service on reaching age 18. All immigrants also would contribute two years of obligatory service. With this obligatory duty completed, arrangements could be provided to allow every graduate of service to be accommodated with higher education. Entitlement would be earned. The right to entitlement would become more nearly universal.
John Welsh, Sitka
Coastal CODE
Dear Editor: Sitka community members have done it again. They showed up and pitched in and the results were shocking! On Saturday, April 20, the Sitka Sound Science Center hosted the annual Coastal CODE (Clean Oceans Depend on Everyone) Cleanup sponsored by Alaskan Brewing. Around 100 volunteers joined the efforts to help clean up trash that was in or could end up in our waterways. The efforts resulted in 3,972 pounds being cleaned up! This does not account for the many bags of recycling that were taken to the recycling center.
After all of the hard work volunteers were invited to a barbecue to celebrate. Prizes were awarded for single largest item, most total trash collected (by weight) and strangest single item found. The largest single item was a massive pipe weighing in at 241 pounds; largest amount of trash collected in total was 650 pounds; and the strangest item was definitely the lawn mower.
Thank you to Alaskan Brewing for continuing to organize and support this important program. Thank you to our local media outlets, the Sitka Sentinel, KCAW and KIFW, and to all the organizations and businesses that help spread the word about this event. We are beyond grateful for the support of the Sitka community and humbled by your willingness to jump in and clean up to help our oceans, many thanks to everyone.
Sitka Sound Science Center
PM2.5 Effects
Dear Editor: The air pollutant that causes more deaths than alcoholism, increased salt consumption, or inactivity is fine particulate called PM2.5. With diameters about a thirtieth of a human hair, this particulate matter can be inhaled deep into the lungs. It causes premature death in people with heart and lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, and increased respiratory symptoms. This pollutant comes primarily from transportation combustion, fossil fueled power plants, and industry. Decreasing fossil fuel use will improve health by decreasing PM2.5.
Global warming has other bad health consequences: food insecurity, increased migration, tick-borne illness in Alaska, infrastructure damage from melting permafrost, fires, floods, and severe weather. The costs of health effects will be borne by all of us and future generations. Warming is increasing faster than scientists predicted in Alaska and in the oceans. We have to act now to save lives and money before uncontrollable warming occurs.
The best first step to decrease fossil fuel use that produces PM2.5 and greenhouse gases is to make them more expensive with a national fee. A national fee will not disadvantage Alaskan resource extraction in comparison to other states. Returning the monies collected to U.S. households with a monthly dividend will protect most of us from the increased prices that will be passed along to us by oil, gas, and coal companies. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have introduced a bill to price carbon and return a dividend to U.S. households. Bipartisan support is critical for a long lasting solution to global warming.
This bill (HR763) already exists. We increase the likelihood of its passage by telling our Congressional delegation that we expect their support. Business and leader endorsements can be made at energyinnovationact.org. Barbara Bingham and Libby Stortz can take your citizen constituent letters to Washington, D.C., in June when they lobby for this sensible action for our climate. Thank you for helping us to show that Alaskans want to change the course of global warming.
Kay Kreiss, M.D.,
Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby
